Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History

Tori Telfer is a writer and editor who has worked on everything from children's literary magazines to product copy for artisanal German manicure tools. She graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University and went on to work in publishing, teaching, and academic editing. Today, she works as a freelance writer and editor. Her work has appeared on Salon, Jezebel, The Hairpin, B&N¿s book blog, in VICE, and more.

“Telfer proves that you can stab, poison, and suffocate the predictable tropes about female killers and still write something salacious and entertaining.” — Caitlin Doughty, New York Times bestselling author of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity
“Each tale a mini-thriller, Lady Killers recounts disturbing stories of real anti-heroines with wit and ease. Telfer’s insightful commentary reminds us that history isn’t always what it seems. Sometimes it’s worse.” — Rebecca Romney, coauthor of Printer’s Error
“A wonderfully executed—no pun intended—historical account of female killers. Lady Killers is a thrilling character study of the most diabolically complex, fascinating female psychopaths in history.”  — M. William Phelps, author of  the New York Times bestselling Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer
“A fascinating, creepy and insightful read that will make you question everything you think you know about the supposedly fairer sex.” — Mara Altman, author of Thanks For Coming and Gross Anatomy
“With a breezy tone and sharp commentary, Telfer draws out the tired stereotypes with just enough wit and humor to make the topic of female murderers enjoyable.” — Publishers Weekly
“Here’s an interesting survey of female serial killers... given its dark subject matter, it’s surprisingly lively. A welcome addition to serial-killer literature.” — Booklist
“The book is well-researched and informative, but squeamish readers beware: Telfer doesn’t hide the grisly and gruesome details about what these women did to the people they murdered... Heavily researched and filled with gory details, a rare look at women who killed for pleasure.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The chapters are well researched, and even when they start out reciting myth and legend (e.g., “The Blood Countess: Erzsébet Báthory”), Telfer goes on to deconstruct the legend and look for realism and fact behind the rumors, which is refreshing.... [Telfer] seriously interrogates the treatment these women received at the time of their crimes as well as afterward, shining light on how each case was handled. For true crime fans and those interested in feminist history.” — Library Journal
“Think serial killers are always male? This creepy, darkly humorous compendium of real-life tales will sho you otherwise—and keep you up at night” — People